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Two months before the FIFA World Cup, the France team lost on Sunday to Denmark in the League of Nations. The Blues, however, remain in the top flight thanks to Austria’s defeat against Croatia.
France was crushed 2-0 by Denmark, Sunday September 25 in Copenhagen, and owes its maintenance in the elite of the League of Nations only to the defeat of Austria, a meager consolation for champions of the world, two months from Qatar.
The Blues were certainly weakened by a cohort of injured for the clash against the “Danish Dynamite”, attractive semi-finalist of the last Euro, but they had enough reserves to hope to silence the noisy Parken and his some 36,000 red supporters and white.
Alas, they suffered in the face of opposing battering, even sinking before half-time in front of Kasper Dolberg (34th) and Andreas Skov Olsen (39th).
It was a very sad last outing for the Blues before the big departure for Doha, where they will cross paths with the Danes on November 26 for their second World Cup match.
“You don’t have to worry”
Luckily for them, Luka Modric’s Croatia went on to win 3-1 in Vienna at the same time, sending Austria into League B of the Nations League, the equivalent of the second division, rather than the France which has one more point.
The tricolor campaign had started askew in June, with four games without a win, and Thursday’s success against Austria (2-0) was only a rare brightening in the gloom.
“The necessary ingredients, we put them three days ago, not today”, noted Didier Deschamps on TF1. But “we should not worry”, nuanced the coach, aware of being able to “recover all the players or the vast majority” of the injured by the World Cup.
In the meantime, the black series is rare for the Blues, as dark as the cascade of withdrawals that accompanied this return to school, from Paul Pogba to N’Golo Kanté, via Hugo Lloris, Presnel Kimpembe, the brothers Theo and Lucas Hernandez, Kingsley Coman and Karim Benzema.
Camavinga, failed return
In this context, the boss of the Blues bet on a team much less experienced than usual, populated by players having for some an enormous pressure on the shoulders: that of seducing to integrate the list of the World Cup, expected in the week of November 7.
From the height of his 19 years, Eduardo Camavinga put on the blue for the first time in two years, with a lackluster result. The Real Madrid midfielder lost balls, lacked impact and created too few chances.
Deschamps even replaced him at half-time with Youssouf Fofana who, three days after his first flight, was more consistent alongside Aurélien Tchouaméni. The latter is part, on the contrary, of the Blues who have been rising for several months, regardless of his pairs (Pogba, Kanté, Guendouzi, Kamara, Rabiot…).
In Copenhagen, the red wave overwhelmed the young French guard in sequence who, at kick-off, had five selections on average with goalkeeper Alphonse Areola and the three centrals Dayot Upamecano (23), Benoît Badiashile and William Saliba (21 years), the latter being replaced at the break.
Set pieces and crosses flared up and the absence of the usual ramparts, Lloris (forfeited in September) and Raphaël Varane (substitute), was noticed.
Questions abound
In front, the attackers did not find the key to deceive Kasper Schmeichel, voted player of the match, like Kylian Mbappé’s double chance in the 67th minute, thwarted by the Nice goalkeeper.
Wearing the armband for the first time, Antoine Griezmann was no luckier (15th, 70th). Olivier Giroud remained at 49 goals, two units from Thierry Henry’s record, without it being known yet whether he will have the opportunity to approach the mark of his elder.
Deschamps maintains the suspense over the international future of the AC Milan striker, 36, next week. The coach has repeatedly repeated that it was “difficult” humanly for the world champion to be confined now to a role of understudy of Karim Benzema, currently forfeited.
In any case, there is no shortage of questions before the announcement of the list for the World Cup. And worries, either.
With AFP
